Spotlight: Spoken by Melanie Weiss
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SPOKEN
by Melanie Weiss Publication Date: March 12, 2019 Genres: Adult, Young Adult, Coming of Age
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SYNOPSIS
High school freshman Roman Santi has everything — good looks, great friends, a mansion with an infinity swimming pool — except the one thing he really wants. A relationship with his father.
When Roman’s life gets turned upside down, (thanks, Mom!?), he is forced to leave his pampered Hollywood lifestyle and move into his grandparents’ Midwestern home. Sleeping on a lumpy pullout sofa and starting at a new high school is the worst, but Roman’s life starts to look up when his pink-haired friend, Zuzu, and his crush, a classmate named Claire, introduce him to performance poetry through the high school’s Spoken Word Club. While his mom is flying back and forth to L.A., trying to return them to the life they had, Roman becomes part of a diverse group of characters who challenge his rather privileged view of the world. Through Spoken Word, Roman recognizes the hole in his own life he needs to fill and discovers his voice. Spoken Word leads Roman on a journey of new friendships, first love, and finding the dad he never knew.
“Spoken” is an uplifting, funny, and heartfelt coming-of-age story that captures how the honesty of performance poetry binds together students from all different walks of life and forever changes Roman’s life.
ABOUT MELANIE WEISS
Melanie Weiss is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University and worked as a journalist for newspapers and magazines for 20 years. She began writing her novel, Spoken, shortly after her younger child left for college in 2015 and she became an “empty nester.” She currently manages a scholarship foundation at her local high school that provides scholarship support to more than 60 graduating high school seniors each year. Spoken is her first novel but it won’t be her last.
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Spotlight: Tombstones by KC Enders
/Tombstones, the final standalone novel in the Beekman Hills series by KC Enders is ready to set your heart on fire. Fans of military and secret baby romance will love this angsty yet humorous read. It was supposed to be just a month of fun, but neither of them thought they’d find forever between tragedy and tombstones.
Synopsis:
No strings. No mess. No complications.
It was supposed to be just a month of fun.
But two blue lines have them both considering a future that neither of them knew they wanted.
KATE BEARD
Kindergarten teacher.
Tequila connoisseur.
Expert in finding Mr. WRONG.
Ever since Kate discovered the man she thought she’d marry macking on his boyfriend, she has had nothing but bad luck in love.
What she needs is a fresh start.
When MURPHY and his damn LAW drop the perfect man right in front of her, it’s just her luck that he’s only there temporarily.
WYATT JACKSON
Captain, Special Forces.
Confirmed bachelor.
In the running for uncle of the year.
One month stateside to enjoy top-shelf tequila, lose himself in a gorgeous woman, an to try and forget the desert.
What he needed was a reset. What he got, was a sassy southern woman hellbent on bringing him to his knees.
Neither thought they’d find forever between tragedy and tombstones.
Excerpt
Copyright @ 2019 KC Enders
I startle Martha laying a hand on her back as she’s gunning for my class table. “Little Mr. Triplett needs a write-up to the office, Miss Beard. In fact, I was just about to take him down there and get things back in order here,” she huffs at me. Martha is the elementary school equivalent of the SWAT. She runs a tight ship, and nobody messes with that.
“Yeah, Jake’s had a rough morning, but let’s give him a hot minute and just see if he can pull himself out of whatever this is. What’s he been doing?” I ask glancing over my shoulder toward the table reserved for my students.
Hot damn.
That is most definitely not one of my kindergartners.
Making a show of fanning myself, I tease, “Miss Martha, you sure you don’t just want to go over there and flirt with that fine specimen of man sitting next to Jake?” Because holy fuck is he ever?
Martha pauses and looks at the tall man folded awkwardly into the bench and table combo that perfectly fits our smallest students. “Miss Beard,” she says exasperatedly. “I’m old enough to be his mother.” She flutters her hand at her throat, clutching at the neck of the candy cane printed turtleneck that complements her black sweater vest, presents and bows appliqued festively down the front.
“Doesn’t mean you can’t look.” I hit her with a wink and lean in conspiratorially. “You calling dibs on him? Or can I go see what has Jake all riled up?”
“Dear Lord, you’re just terrible,” she mutters.
The man sitting smack dab in the middle of the bench is obviously a source of great interest to my kids. Jake alternates between sitting so close to the man a piece of tissue paper would feel squished, and standing, holding court with his tall, muscly friend. Probably his dad. He did mention that his father was home earlier. He’s got all the tell-tale patience of a father visiting his excited kiddo at school. Helping each child open whatever container or snack bag they hand him. Chatting with each of them in turn.
Chloe Triplett is a very lucky woman if that man is warming her bed at night—when he’s in town, anyway. His broad shoulders test the tensile strength of the fabric of his plaid shirt, molding almost poetically around a muscular back, tapering in that perfect V to a well-formed ass. God forgive me for lusting after my student’s father-please and thank you. I pray silently.
Closely cropped dark brown hair fades into maybe two-day scruff that peppers a strong jawline. Plump lips hitch up when the question of the moment is interrupted by Amelia telling him he’s got pretty eyes. His shoulders shake ever so slightly as he rumbles out a “thank you, and so do you.” Be still my heart.
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Author KC Enders
Karin is a New York Girl living in a Midwest world. A connoisseur of great words, fine bourbon, and strong coffee, she’s married to the love of her life who is also her best friend. The mother of two grown men, she is proud to say that they can cook and clean up after themselves, and always open doors for the ladies (you’re welcome, world). Even though her boys no longer live at home, the big dogs she’s rescued have taken up their empty space.
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Spotlight: The Time Collector by Gwendolyn Womack
/Travel through time with the touch of a hand.
Roan West was born with an extraordinary gift: he can perceive the past of any object he touches. A highly skilled pyschometrist, he uses his talents to find and sell valuable antiques, but his quiet life in New Orleans is about to change. Stuart, a fellow pyschometrist and Roan’s close friend, has used his own abilities to unearth several out-of-place-artifacts or “ooparts”—like a ring that once belonged to the seventeenth-century mathematician and philosopher René Descartes, but was found buried in prehistoric bedrock.
The relics challenge recorded history, but soon after the discovery, Stuart disappears, making him one of several psychometrists who have recently died or vanished without a trace. When Roan comes across a viral video of a young woman who has discovered a priceless pocket watch just by “sensing” it, he knows he has to warn her—but will Melicent Tilpin listen? And can Roan find Stuart before it’s too late?
The quest for answers will lead Roan and Melicent around the world—before it brings them closer to each other and a startling truth—in the latest romantic thriller from Gwendolyn Womack, the bestselling, PRISM Award-winning author of The Memory Painter and The Fortune Teller.
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About the Author
Originally from Houston, Texas, GWENDOLYN WOMACK studied theater at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks and holds an MFA in Directing Theatre, Video, and Cinema from California Institute of the Arts. She is the USA Today bestselling author of The Fortune Teller and the RWA Prism Award-winning reincarnation thriller, The Memory Painter. She resides in Los Angeles with her family.
For more information please visit Gwendolyn Womack’s website. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Goodreads.
Spotlight: The Brave Art of Motherhood: Fight Fear, Gain Confidence, and Find Yourself Again by Rachel Marie Martin
/Full-time FindingJoy.net blogger, speaker, marketer, podcaster, and single mom of seven, Rachel Marie Martin presents a wake-up call to those of us who have found ourselves stuck in the 'I'm just a mom' phase of life.
Yes, this book is about motherhood . . . but really, this book is about finding yourself again and following your passion WHILE being a mom. Inspired by her incredible story, Rachel's words always come straight from the gut; they are visceral, real and soul searching. She challenges you to find the courage to break cycles, to take off masks and not let fear take control. This book is a balance of tough, "no excuses" ways of approaching life, while allowing breathing room and grace for yourself, for as we all know, life and mothering are not perfect.
After inspiring and conversing with thousands of women, Rachel has surmised there is always a reason to hope, to move forward and a reason to dare doing what you thought was impossible. (Yes, including what you are skeptical of accomplishing right now). She encourages you to say yes to your dreams and stop waiting for "someday" or "one day" or "when something happens".
Prepare to change the way you think about yourself and your life. This will be a book you read over and over armed with a highlighter in one hand and a journal for introspection in another.
Book Excerpt:
One November day, I stood at my bedroom window watching as a sharp wind stripped the remaining leaves from the trees. Seeing those limbs laid bare, I felt similarly exposed. I realized I'd been lost in my own life, waiting for something to change. But I couldn't wait any longer.
So I started fighting. Reclaiming the lifeless spaces, unearthing joy in motherhood, and finding hope and purpose. No longer did I hide behind the words "When the kids are grown, I will. . . "
I changed one thing: my mind
Now my kids are happier than they have ever been. And so am I.
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About the Author
Rachel Marie Martin believes in the power of the human spirit to overcome, to thrive and to find deep joy and because of that she pours out her heart via these platforms: she is the writer behind the site FindingJoy.net, partner of BloggingConcentrated.com, co-host of the Amplify Podcast, and a featured writer for The Huffington Post. Her top blog post, "Why Being a Mom is Enough" has surpassed 1.9 million Facebook likes and she has had her articles translated into over 25 languages. Her site reaches millions of visitors and has a robust, engaged Facebook community. Her articles have been featured in The Huffington Post, iVillage, The Today Show, Star Tribune, iVillage, Stuff New Zealand, PopSugar, Parents, What to Expect, Mamalode, NBC Parents, Dr. Greene, and many more. Her first book, "The Brave Art of Motherhood", published by Penguin Random House, was released on October 9, 2018.
She speaks worldwide about a variety of empowering topics ranging from motherhood to social media marketing to website strategy to writing to creating an authentic community. She believes in living each day intentionally and loves working with others to cultivate a vision, realize their potential and see their dreams become a reality.
Spotlight: What Matters More by Liora Blake
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What Matters More
Liora Blake
Publication date: April 9th 2019
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
A sexy contemporary romance about what happens when a casual one-night stand becomes anything but casual.
JT Maxwell has it all . . . well, almost. He’s a US Marshal, he looks like he belongs in an aftershave commercial, and he has tattoos—lots of tattoos. Unfortunately, he’s also in debt up to his pretty blue eyeballs. Between that and his recent divorce, his personal life is nonexistent these days. But when a free-spirited artist approaches him for a no-strings-attached one-night stand, things suddenly start looking up.
Anya Alves’s life is a mess. She’s lost her job, caught her boyfriend cheating on her, and if it weren’t for the house-sitting gig she just landed, she’d be homeless. On top of all that, her creative muse has up and disappeared. If she doesn’t get it back, her burgeoning career as an artist will be over before it starts. But after indulging in a steamy hook-up with a guy who makes it easy to forget her troubles, she gets her mojo back.
The last thing she expects when starting her house-sitting job, is to see her sexy one-night stand again . . . living right across the street.
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EXCERPT:
Anya managed a nervous smile and thrust her arms forward, with the baking pan perched in her hands like an offering—one she suddenly wasn’t sure would be welcome.
“We made enchiladas for dinner,” she blurted out. “And we saved some for you. Tara said you can send her a thank-you note tomorrow. I kept them warm, and I have salad and some beer, too. Are you hungry?”
JT’s gaze zeroed in on the pan in her hands and he simply stared at it, not saying a word, even when Anya cleared her throat to ease the uncomfortable silence. She felt a blush creeping across her cheeks, and a panicked thought hit her. One that if she hadn’t lost her mind earlier, she would have been able to see coming before she found herself with these damn oven mitts on her hands.
Maybe this was a mistake.
She could see how this must look, this show of domesticity on her part that he certainly hadn’t asked for or even insinuated that he wanted. But here she was, making him dinner and keeping it warm until he arrived home, like she was some proper Kennedy-era housewife—which, on so many levels, she definitely wasn’t. Even the outfit she’d changed into, a lavender floral mini dress, made it look like all she was missing was a cute little vintage apron to complete the look.
Oh, God.
Of course this was a mistake.
Anya considered setting the pan on the ground and walking away without saying another word. But then JT locked his eyes with hers. A hungry, heated look was on his face, and because she was regretting this whole thing now, she wasn’t sure whether that look was for her or the enchiladas. Either way, she needed him to say something soon because she was about to drop this hot pan and swoon, although not necessarily in that order.
“I’m starving,” JT rumbled. Then he made his way toward the door into the house, opened it, and invited Anya in with just the tip of his chin. She scooted past him in the doorway and swore that when she did, he actually grunted quietly as she passed.
Even then, she still wasn’t sure what he wanted to eat first.
Author Bio:
Wife of one. Mom of three plus a Beagle.
Liora Blake is a contemporary romance author living in Colorado.When she isn't writing, she's likely baking cookies she shouldn't eat, inventing elaborate excuses to avoid going for a run, or asking the nice barista to sell her another quad-shot Americano.
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